The Summer I Turned Pretty is back for its third and final season, and once and for all, fans are about to learn who Belly (Lola Tung) ends up with in the hit Prime Video series.
Those who read Jenny Han’s book series, which inspired the show, have had one endgame in mind since Book 3 — It’s Not Summer Without You — published back in 2011. But other fans, who only watched the series, have formed their own opinions on Belly’s boys, Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah Fisher (Gavin Casalegno), and are shipping different couples in the final season.
When speaking with EW ahead of TSITP‘s Season 3 premiere, Han explained, “There are definitely changes… There are surprises. And there are things that aren’t exactly like the books.” So even fans who’ve read the series front to back will have to tune in to see how the final chapter unfolds on-screen.
Does Belly end up with Conrad? Does Belly end up with Jeremiah? Does Belly choose herself in the end? Or does a secret fourth outcome play out?! Ultimately, we’ll have to wait and watch The Summer I Turned Pretty‘s Season 3 finale on September 17 to learn how the series ends. But while we wait, some fans who haven’t read may be curious to know who does Belly end up with in The Summer I Turned Pretty books…
Again, nothing’s set in stone. But if you’re wondering who Belly might end up with on TSITP show based on her endgame in the books, and what early Season 3 episodes are hinting at, we’ve got you covered. Just be warned, massive TSITP book spoilers lie ahead!
If you are looking to read all three The Summer I Turned Pretty books in Jenny Han’s series ahead of the Season 3 finale, here’s the order you need to read in:
Otherwise, read on for book spoilers.
The Summer I Turned Pretty Book 3’s synopsis reads, “…As Jeremiah and Belly head back to Cousins Beach to plan their wedding, Conrad comes home to tell Belly he made a mistake when he broke her heart. Now Belly must confront her feelings for Jeremiah and Conrad and face a truth she has possibly always known: She will have to break one of their hearts.”
So whose heart does Belly break in the books? Fast forward to several days before Belly and Jere’s wedding, when Conrad learns about Jeremiah’s Cabo hookup with Lacie and confesses his own feelings to Belly. Though Belly shuts Conrad down, she tells Jere that his brother is still in love with her, which causes Jere to start doubting their future together. After confronting Belly about her own feelings for Conrad and the Cousins Christmas she spent with Connie that failed to tell him about, he leaves the house to think with hours left until the ceremony.
On the day of the wedding, Belly still has no idea where Jeremiah is, so Conrad goes looking and finds him in the garden of the women’s shelter that Susannah supported. The brothers have it out, with Jere asking Conrad about his lingering feelings for Belly and Conrad confronting Jere about his Cabo hook-up. After a punch to the face from Jere, which Conrad encouraged, the two exchange more harsh words and Conrad says, “Fine. I love her. I admit it. Sometimes — sometimes I think she’s the only girl I could ever be with. But Jere, she picked you. You’re the one she wants to marry. Not me.”
Conrad hands Jeremiah a letter that Susannah wrote him for his wedding day, and after Jere tearfully reading it, he tells Connie they aren’t brothers anymore, he can never see Belly again, and the letter was Conrad’s not his. (Turns out Susannah swapped them by mistake and wrote about how Belly was the only person she’s ever seen Conrad love! Ahhhh!!!!)
Honoring his brother’s wishes, Conrad says an emotional goodbye to Belly, and Jeremiah returns to the house with the intention of getting married. Before he and Belly can walk down the aisle, however, he confronts her about her feelings for Conrad, shares what was in his mom’s letter, and they decide to call off the wedding.
“It wouldn’t have been right. Not for either of us. Sometimes I wonder if we had rushed into getting married because we were both trying to prove something to the other and maybe even to ourselves,” Belly says in the book. “But then I think no, we truly did love each other. We truly did have the best of intention. It, we, just weren’t meant to be.”
With pages left, the book jumps forward a couple years into the future and shows the letter that Susannah wrote for Belly to read on her wedding day. In the end, she marries Conrad, and Jere is present and supportive at their beach wedding with a date of his own. So will the show follow the text?!
After Han’s comments about changes she made from the book, TSTIP fans are wondering if Belly and Conrad will end up together in the series, if there’s a world in which she does get married to Jeremiah, or if she possibly ends up alone.
For the record, despite the comments and increased Team Jere support since the series began, I can’t imagine Han straying from the beloved ending of her book series. Especially since so many Easter eggs in Season 3, Episode 1 and Episode 2 seemingly hint that Belly and Conrad end up together. And that’s not even including all of them! Eagle-eyed fans noticed that in Episode 302, Belly gets a text from Conrad and checks her phone at 9:17, the date of the Sept. 17 finale. So, uh, is that something?!
As for who Jere could end up with if not Belly, early fan theories are hopeful for a potential romance between him and his fraternity brother Redbird (Tanner Zagarino), but that’s all speculation right now. Stay tuned for more updates and theories as the season progresses!
In the trailer, we do catch a glimpse of what looks like Belly’s wedding day. So hopefully there will be a wedding to witness before the series concludes. As for who will be at the other end of the aisle, and if Belly does indeed tie the knot, we’ll have to wait and see…
New episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 premiere Wednesdays at 3:00 a.m. ET on Prime Video.